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Was the PeaPod on top draping onto your body---or was there any air gap? If so you must fix that.
Getting rid of the gap between the hammock and the bottom of the peapod is easy fix too--just take the ends of the peapod further away from the hammock body, like maybe beyond the gathered ends before cinching the ends of the peapod down.....this will also reduce the air space on the ends your body must heat.
Excess clothing in the ends is smart to further reduce heating volumes.
That sleeping bag extended (once zipper is removed and velcro added) does overlap on each side of the velcro closure much like a draft tube...but at your side I dont think you need the extra width it provides.
Here is my vid on my pod system:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO_haqJkVAE
Probably wont help too much to watch but cant hurt.

Was the PeaPod on top draping onto your body---or was there any air gap? If so you must fix that.
Getting rid of the gap between the hammock and the bottom of the peapod is easy fix too--just take the ends of the peapod further away from the hammock body, like maybe beyond the gathered ends before cinching the ends of the peapod down.....this will also reduce the air space on the ends your body must heat.
Excess clothing in the ends is smart to further reduce heating volumes.
That sleeping bag extended (once zipper is removed and velcro added) does overlap on each side of the velcro closure much like a draft tube...but at your side I dont think you need the extra width it provides.
Here is my vid on my pod system:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO_haqJkVAE
Probably wont help too much to watch but cant hurt.

The pod was on top of me with the exception of my left side. There the wall of the traveler pushed the material of the pod up slightly. I did find myself pulling the top of the pod over me from time to time. That how I felt the cold from the Velcro.

Wow, just watched your video! Your set up looks awesome. I bet you can get well into the negatives with that. How low have you taken it?

The MH extender looks cool, did you sew the Velcro yourself? I have zero sewing skills and would have to get someone to do that for me. Good idea though. Will have to think about that for sure. I really appreciate your help. Doesn't seem like there are many people using the pod.

Not many using the pod---and that is strange indeed---the use of the Traveler with the pod (Thanks to Billy Bod) made all the difference in the world.
NO I dont sew yet--this winter will try to sew two pieces of material-still looking for kevlar gloves to protect myself in this risky venture! HA!
Have a little granny type seamstress that did it for me--$10 for her efforts.
Did you see in the vid how the sleeping bag extender is over the velcro joint?
Back to the velcro joint----do take the time to seal it up fully seated--a pain in full on gloves I know been there....when I'm double podding like in the vid I zip up the wallcreeper 3/4 of the way so at least i'm already warming up while I velcro the pod in place. Sometimes I've wondered if a zipper might be better with the pod but then again I love the way the extender and just as importantly the JRB hood mates up with the velcro....so I'll stay with velcro.
OH, when done the whole system goes into one event stuff sack minus the tarp if it is even taken.

I have used my peapod for the last 2 years, with great success! Just add a light topquilt, and you can easily hit 20 degrees very comfortably. Ive even used it in the summer time, with a sheet over me----its pretty versitile! I really like the way there isnt a draft problem, between the uq and the hammock--------its pretty easy to set up! On a recent trip, I slept in the peapod with no topquilt, and just some polypro long underwear----it was 50 degrees and windy, and I was very comfortable!----
As for why more people dont use peapods---I think its a combination of things----you are a little restricted in what kind of hammock you use,(it cant be too wide, or have a built in bug net) and also some people find them confining--------------also, it may seem like alot of money, but by the time you buy a good TQ and UQ, youre going to spend even more! Like every thing else, its just personal preference! Good luck, and enjoy! (also, if you buy one and change your mind later, they seem to hold their resale value pretty well)

FYI: If you want to know what type a certain bear is, sneak up behind it and kick it. Then,
run like crazy and climb up a tree. If the bear climbs the tree and eats you, it's a black
bear. If the bear just pushes the tree over and eats you, it's a grizzly bear : )

Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either, just leave me alone.
--unknown

Billey bob, did you ever get the velcro working on your peapod? What did you end up doing?

FYI: If you want to know what type a certain bear is, sneak up behind it and kick it. Then,
run like crazy and climb up a tree. If the bear climbs the tree and eats you, it's a black
bear. If the bear just pushes the tree over and eats you, it's a grizzly bear : )

Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either, just leave me alone.
--unknown

Billey bob, did you ever get the velcro working on your peapod? What did you end up doing?

Stevebo: Nope, it is still not up to par. I tried using animal/pet combs to clean the Velcro, but not much luck yet.

I need to get on that with winter just beginning, but I am being lazy due to the luxury of having several more options available to me(MW4UQ, synthetic Yeti, HHSS). Also, it is not exactly unusable, it will stick together and stay together well enough for use. It is just not anywhere near as quick and easy to get it closed up as it used to be.

Also, I figure after a while this problem will show up with other pod users. The Velcro for the bottom closing of my older HH Explorer UL is MUCH looser than the one on the "new"( a demo) Expl UL I have been trying out lately. So I'm guessing this is just something that happens with Velcr: become weaker over time. Weaker, but not useless.

Here is what I am thinking.
1: Learn to use a sewing machine or find a seamstress, and just replace the Velcro. I suppose when I pull the stitches out, down is going to try and fly out?
2: Get some Velcro or that Velcro substitute ( 3M?) I have read about, and sew on(get someone to sew on) a few small reinforcement patches over the top of the original Velcro.
3: install a few snaps.

Anyway, I need to get this done. Because I think the best overall 10*F I have spent in a hammock was in my PeaPod. Why? Because of the superior head area insulation I had compared to other set ups. Which meant less condensation in the area of my face/chin/neck. Really none that I can remember.

Sidewinder:Around 4 or 5am the temp dropped to 41-42*F and I closed it full over me. I was a little afraid of re-breathing my own CO2 that I stayed awake. I was feeling some chill and noticed that it was coming from the Velcro area. I was wearing shorts and a tee shirt (normally I wear a smartwool base layer) but thought I would see how warm it was with just minimal clothing. Also had on a fleece hat. The cold seeping from the Velcro area was enough to make me worry about the 20 degree temp rating.

Sidewinder: keep in mind that Ed Speer (pod designer), a self proclaimed extra cold sleeper, rated ( for Ed ) the 20F pod- used by itself- at 50F ON TOP. This no doubt was when used with his Speer hammock, which I think pushes the pod upward and causing more gap than most other hammocks. Filling the gap- and also blocking the warm air from rushing out any vent hole you might open, is the key to toastiness in the pod. The Speer PeaPod would have no trouble reaching a 20F rating top side if you were sleeping on the ground where it could completely drape down on you. But some hammocks cause a lot of gap, it varies. If you were OK at 42 with very little clothing, you are probably doing pretty darn good.

If you hike with any form of puffy clothing, it can be a big help. I don't wear it, but just drape it over my chest/neck area to fill gaps or make a faux neck collar. Or I put it on "backwards" with arms through the sleeves. This seems to make it puff up better.

But even way better if you don't mind a little extra weight and you have something available: a light- even summer weight- TQ draped over you. This not only will fill most gaps head to toe and allow you to have a bigger vent with out all of your warm air rushing out, consider this:
If you have 2.5" of loft in the pod, and you fill any gaps with say another 2 or 2.5" of loft from a summer TQ or even bag and maybe some puffy clothing, now how thick is the top side loft? 4 or 5", which is deep winter insulation.

The Pea Pod probably won't be as warm on top( due to top gap) as a separate 20F TQ of 22 oz or so, which would drape right down on you. Then again, the built in head protection and lack of draft will make up for some of that. Maybe a lot.

The pod was designed for the 8.5 ft long Speer hammock, and it never goes over the end knots, that would be way too tight. Isn't a Traveler 10 ft long? So clearly you are going to need some hammock outside the pod on the ends. That is why it is a good thing it is 9 ft long.

With my ( very narrow) 10 ft long Claytor No Net and the Speer hammock, I would usually adjust/ tighten it on the ends so that I have at least 5 or 6" between the inside bottom of the open pod and the unoccupied hammock. Then when I get in, the hammock sinks down into the pod, and when I close it it is just about touching my back, with pretty much full loft.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us....that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.
Romans 8:18,21-22

When you replace the velcro (if you do) consider adding two more running lengths of it, so when you bring the two sides together you are mating two pieces of velcro- 2 on top of one side and 2 on the bottom of the other side. The running lengths about 2-3 inches apart and overlap them. Does that in any way makes sense! HA! words when I need a diagram Well just thinking of a method to gaurantee no gaps.